


big trouble (one more)

by chanyeolanda



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - College/University, Casual Sex, Friends With Benefits, M/M, everyone is soft for seokmin even if it's not obvious, except most of it takes place at home, mentions of other svt members and 97liners, seokgyuhao are best friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-07
Updated: 2018-01-07
Packaged: 2019-03-01 17:11:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13299423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chanyeolanda/pseuds/chanyeolanda
Summary: Hormones are not great decision makers, and now Mingyu's heart hurts.





	big trouble (one more)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [s_coups](https://archiveofourown.org/users/s_coups/gifts).



> Hi! This came out far clumsier than I intended but I hope you enjoy it anyway! ❤

The trouble all starts when Seokmin announces over dinner of fried chicken and beer that he has imprinted on his tiny choir leader and intends to court the alpha.

'I don't think imprinting is actually a thing,' is all Minghao says, which prompts ten minutes of Seokmin whining about this apparently adorable alpha and how there's no other explanation for the weird feeling in his stomach and the way his omega practically wanted him to build a nest right there in the choir room and drag the alpha into it.

Mingyu can think of a few reasons, one starting with 'pure' and ending with 'unadulterated lust', but he's not going to say anything to burst Seokmin's rose coloured bubble.

Maybe the trouble actually started further back, even, when Mingyu chose to move in with Seokmin at all, Seokmin's mother refusing to pay for off campus housing unless he had a trusted alpha roommate and who better than good old Kim Mingyu whose mom was in the same bookclub. Mingyu didn't really think about the implications of living with an unmated omega, or that their proximity would lead to a very convenient set up both mothers would be horrified to discover.

Mingyu would absolutely die if either mom found out what had been happening since Seokmin's first heat when they started living together. He thinks both of them forgot that straight wasn't a thing everyone was.

(It's probably more accurate to say the trouble began somewhere in between the two, when Xu Minghao decided he couldn't stand on campus housing anymore and Seokmin convinced Mingyu that it would be great to share his room in exchange for his part of the rent being cut in half, and 'think of all the extra food we can get, Gyu!'. He knew Minghao, in a distant kind of way, and they got along fine, and Seokmin had asked right when he caught Mingyu trying to get himself off and wouldn't leave until Mingyu gave him an answer.

Long story short, Mingyu ended up getting an extra bed in his room and a new best friend.

As well as a tendency to melt at anything the other alpha says, and the want to roll around in his scent for like, a year, minimum, and a pressing need to subdue his scent whenever Minghao gets dressed in their room, skin all wet and pink from the shower. Some would call it a crush. Mingyu refuses to go there.)

Whenever the trouble starts, it leads to this: Minghao banging on their bedroom door, demanding Mingyu to open up, while Mingyu stands there with a head filled with panic and a rapidly wilting hard on. 

To rewind:

'It's been three months, Seokmin, have you made any progress?' Mingyu asks, verging on desperate, and Seokmin brightens.

'He greeted me first yesterday!'

Mingyu blinks at Seokmin as Minghao snorts. 'You realise you're in preheat, right?' Mingyu says monotonously.

Seokmin tilts his head. 'Huh. That explains the hunger.'

'How do you not realise you're in preheat.'

'I can't smell myself,' Seokmin protests, 'I don't really feel any effect until heat hits, you know that. Slight drop in sex drive, but that can be hard to notice when you've imprinted.'

'Not a thing,' Minghao says, as always.

'Romance exists in this world, Hao, just because you're not a romantic,' Seokmin replies.

'It's not a romance thing, it's just scientifically not a thing,' Minghao insists, 'I'm like 99 percent sure of it.'

'That means you're one percent sure of it.'

'That's not how it works.'

'Okay, anyway,' Mingyu interrupts before Seokmin can speak again, 'What are your plans for this heat?'

Seokmin blinks. 'What do you mean?'

'Like, are we fucking you through it, or...' Minghao trails off lazily and Mingyu ignores the pang in his gut at the _we_ , as if him and Minghao had ever been involved in a sexual situation together. He blames it on Seokmin's pheromones filling the air.

'Obviously not,' Seokmin says, looking at them as if it's a preposterous suggestion. 

'Wow, don't look so horrified at the suggestion, it's not like neither of us has helped you through previous heats,' Minghao remarks dryly.

'It's different now,' Seokmin insists, 'I'm courting Jihoonie hyung, I can't be smelling like other alphas.'

'Spare us a thought?' Mingyu begs, 'Or like. Move your courting timeline along and get him to mate you so you don't go into a repeat heat, god forbid. If you won't let us break your heat.'

'That's not going to happen,' Minghao sighs.

'It could!' Seokmin protests, 'Don't be a nonbeliever!'

'Junhui ge says he's reluctant to accept that you're actually courting him,' Minghao remarks dryly, 'Good luck getting him to fuck you in the next two weeks. And I mean that sincerely.'

Seokmin makes a slight grimace and nods. 'Yeah, he does seem to be hesitant to believe it. Maybe I should step my game up, really make my intentions clear.'

'Uh, Seokmin, I hate to break it to you, but you are literally the least subtle. Him being reluctant to accept you're courting to him has nothing to do with you not being obvious in your attentions. You brought him flowers,' Mingyu points out.

'I should bring him more, they're still sitting in his studio, they're long dead,' Seokmin says thoughtfully.

Mingyu grins helplessly at him. 'Right. That's what I was getting at.'

'You should get him those flowers that look like naked men,' Minghao says with a grin.

'What?' Seokmin says.

'Like, I know shit about flower meanings or whatever, but giving the guy a bouquet of flowers that look like dudes with their dicks hanging out while you're reeking of heat is a pretty blatant hint.' Minghao's still grinning widely. 'He's gotta get it then.'

Mingyu bursts into laughter as Seokmin blinks at Minghao.

'I don't want him to think it's just about sex for me,' Seokmin says, but Mingyu can see he's trying not to laugh himself.

'You gave him flowers off heat as well,' Minghao points out, 'you can just remind him of that.'

'Yeah, but also, like, you're getting to heat, and he'll be able to tell, and it'll be pretty obvious you want a fuck, so might as well let him know you'd prefer it be him,' Mingyu says, with an attempt at a solemn expression.

'It's romantic,' Minghao adds and that sends all three of them into hysterics.

'No, okay, but seriously,' Seokmin says after they've sobered up, 'If I'm really obvious about it and he's still reluctant, should I give up? I mean, if he's not into it, I don't want to be like this weird underclassman following him around.'

'I think it's a bit too late for that,' Minghao remarks, 'but no, I don't think you should give up. From what Junhui ge tells me about him, if he was weirded out he would have said something. I think he's just shy.'

'Have you been digging for dirt on him for me?' Seokmin asks, momentarily distracted.

'Obviously,' Minghao scoffs, 'There's been some sketchy rumours about him. You know what they say about short people being closer to hell and all that.'

'That doesn't explain you though,' Mingyu says and receives a pillow to the face for the comment. 'Also, are you kidding me, Seokmin?' he continues, hugging the pillow to his chest. 'You can't give up now, look at all the progress you've made. I mean, come on, he greeted you _first_ yesterday.'

Seokmin's face blooms into a happy smile. 'You think?' he asks.

'Definitely,' Minghao affirms, as Mingyu nods.

*

Mingyu's Log: Day Five of Seokmin's Unassisted Heat.   
Location: Bedroom.   
Companion: Minghao.   
Currently Doing: ~~Unfortunately No One~~ Homework (Attempting).   
Status: Dying.

In his defense, he really is trying to study. Only, the scent of Seokmin's heat is thick in the air, and he's been on the edge of arousal for four days now, so his mind is pretty clouded. So he's just staring blankly at his notes. Minghao is also studying, and Mingyu won't deny that his presence is doing very little to help his state of mind. Every time he catches a whiff of Minghao's scent it sends the thick ball of arousal roiling in the pit of his belly.

Mingyu's really trying not to breathe in.

He starts when Minghao groans and drops his head to his desk.

'I'm so fucking horny,' Minghao complains, 'I can't think straight.'

 _Haha, straight_ travels listlessly across the peripheries of Mingyu's thought processes as he lets his book fall off his lap, giving up all pretenses of studying.

'Thank god,' he says, 'I thought I was the only one going nuts from a sympathy rut.'

'I'm slowly being driven out of my fucking mind,' Minghao says with a slight laugh, tilting his head to look at Mingyu. 'I've never lived with an unmated omega before, and Seokmin's always needed help before this. I'm going insane. How did you deal with it before?'

Mingyu snorts. 'I didn't? Seokmin and I realised fucking each other was the best option like three days into his first heat while we were living together. We were going insane.'

'It's been more than three days,' Minghao says miserably.

'I am very aware of this,' Mingyu agrees, just as pained.

'I keep almost reverting to the library, but I inevitably forget something every time I try.' Minghao lifts himself from the desk and slumps back in his chair with a sigh. 'I thought you being here would help, but-' Minghao cuts himself off abruptly.

Mingyu tilts his head in slight confusion. 'But...?' he prompts, and Minghao gives an awkward half shrug.

'Can still smell him,' he mutters and Mingyu deflates a little.

'Yeah,' he says, 'his scent is pretty overwhelming.'

There's a silence, Mingyu not quite sure what he thought might have been the outcome of the conversation. He shifts a little under the heat of Minghao's gaze, seemingly assessing something.

'So, what do you think of Seokmin and Jihoon?' Minghao asks, out of the blue and Mingyu blinks in surprise at the topic change.

'I wish Jihoon'd get it the fuck together and mate Seokmin so we can get out of this abject misery,' he says bluntly and Minghao gives a slight laugh, toying with his pen.

'You and me both,' he remarks, before shifting slightly in his chair. 'You really want them together?'

'Why wouldn't I?' Mingyu asks with sincere confusion.

'Well, you and Seokmin have had your thing for a while now, and you haven't exactly been seeking out relationships. I just.... wondered if there might be a reason for that, you know.' Minghao punctuates his sentence with a shrug, eyes fixed on the pen spinning between his fingers.

'A reason?' Mingyu repeats, nonplussed, 'I've been focussing on- you think I _like_ him?' Mingyu exclaims, sitting bolt upright in disbelief. 'No! It was convenience!'

'Okay!' Minghao responds, 'I was just checking! You know, being a good friend!'

'Three months after he started courting Jihoon?' Mingyu scoffs. 'If it were a problem wouldn't that be a bit late?'

Mingyu's eyes follow the motion of Minghao's tongue running across his lips and the ball of lust tightens in the pit of his belly again. _Wrong roommate_ , runs faintly through his mind, a thought Mingyu would never normally let cross this thoughts. He barely registers it right now, too focussed on suppressing his arousal.

Minghao lets his lip slip from between his teeth, making eye contact with a slightly dazed Mingyu. He opens his mouth as if to say something, but before he can the front door slams open and they both jump.

'Seokmin's home,' Minghao says instead, and Mingyu nods.

'I bought food!' Seokmin calls from the other room.

'I hate you!' Minghao yells back and it's a minute before Seokmin appears in the doorway, pouting at them.

'Because why, though?'

'Because you still haven't gotten laid,' Mingyu says.

'We're literally going insane,' Minghao adds. 'Seriously.'

'How is that my fault?' Seokmin asks and Mingyu laughs.

'We didn't go into sympathy ruts on a whim,' Minghao remarks dryly.

'You can sleep with other people, you know,' Seokmin points out, 'there's nothing stopping you.'

'Yeah, but other people are found outside of this apartment,' Minghao says patiently, 'and I can ignore this when I'm not at home surrounded by your fucking pheromones.'

Seokmin blinks. 'Okay. But... you're both here. And trust me, neither of you are straight.'

The silence in the room is almost deafening, Mingyu refusing to look anywhere near Minghao as he tries to process that yes, Seokmin really did just say that. 

Minghao clears his throat after a few moments of Seokmin staring them down. 

'You mentioned food?' he says and Mingyu can't decide whether to be relieved or disappointed that he's just ignored the implications of Seokmin's statement. 

'Oh, yeah, it's in the kitchen.' Seokmin pushes off from the doorframe, unphased by the change in topic. 'You coming?'

'Yeah,' Minghao says, standing up. 'Gyu?'

Mingyu nods and holds up a finger. 'Just give me a minute.'

He spends the next two minutes trying to calm himself to an acceptable level of arousal, barely registering Seokmin and Minghao's hushed voices in the background, let alone hearing what they're saying.

*

'I have been hit on twenty times in the last three hours,' Seokmin announces, looking slightly panicked as he bangs through the front door.

'Were any of them Jihoon?' Mingyu asks hopefully.

Seokmin pouts. 'No.'

Mingyu groans loudly and slumps deeper into his chair. 'This is day eight, your heat is dragging on. You're gearing up for a repeat heat at this rate as well.'

'Can you walk me to class tomorrow?'

'More time around your pheromones?' Mingyu says dryly.

'It's getting pretty hairy out there,' Seokmin says. 'Please?'

'Yeah, of course,' Mingyu agrees. He's heard the stories; he knows an omega in heat can become a target. This kind of precaution hasn't been necessary before, what with him and Minghao breaking Seokmin's heat previously.

'Just to my first class, mostly. Jihoon's been escorting me between classes.' Seokmin can't hold back the small smile, and Mingyu can't help but mirror it even as he sighs in slight exasperation.

'Would it be considered inappropriate for me to slip a note into his pocket or slap a post it note onto his forehead telling him to mate you so we can all be done with this ordeal?' Mingyu says wryly.

'Yes,' Seokmin replies instantly, 'It definitely would. Don't try to convince me otherwise or ask me again because I might very well change my mind and that would be a disaster. Such a bad idea. No. Don't do that.' The conviction in his voice is weak, and Mingyu laughs.

'Are you suffering?' he asks sympathetically.

'So much,' Seokmin groans, 'I've had to buy heat pads. I don't know if spending so much time with Jihoonie hyung makes this easier or harder. Like on one hand, I'm constantly reminded _why_ I'm not jumping on the first opportunity to break this fucking heat, but on the other hand _oh my god_. He smells so good, and looks so good, and I literally started leaking from watching him _work_ earlier. I don't even think he _noticed_.'

'There is no way he didn't notice,' Mingyu says confidently. 'Trust me. Absolutely no way.'

*

Mingyu savours the blessed days after Seokmin's heat dies three days later, the scented candles actually driving out the dregs of the pheromones in the apartment. He feels light, unburdened, like he can actually think instead of existing in a constant haze of arousal.

It all comes crashing down after one glorious week, when he opens the door to the apartment after a long day of lectures. 

'Evolution is fucking stupid,' Minghao announces from where he's sprawled out on the couch, clad in nothing but his boxers, which are doing nothing to hide the erection he's sporting.

Mingyu's knees buckle. He has to grab onto the wall for support. It's all a bit overwhelming.

'Yeah,' Minghao says, noticing and misunderstanding. 'Guess who left latest today and obviously woke up in a freaking repeat heat. It _reeks_ in here.'

And yes, Mingyu can get all of this just by breathing in, and Seokmin obviously got himself off before leaving, but Mingyu's just a bit stuck on the fact that _Minghao obviously hasn't_ and really, he's having trouble concentrating on anything else. 

'You got beer?' Mingyu asks weakly, finally registering something other than the tent in Minghao's boxers. 

Minghao hums in assent, taking a swig of the bottle in his hand. 'I thought not being sober might help. Jury is still out with the verdict. They're in the fridge.'

Mingyu nods weakly and decides that not being sober does sound like the easier option. He takes one last glance at Minghao's crotch before decided yeah, he definitely needs that beer.

'Seriously, though,' Minghao's saying an hour later. 'It's so completely _useless_. Our subgenders are _obsolete_ , this biology is stupid, there is no _need_ for all of this! Seokmin can't even have kids.'

'He's not infertile,' Mingyu corrects and Minghao waves him away.

'Yeah, okay, but he can't _carry_ children, so like. Why the slick. Why the _slick_. Where did evolution fuck up?'

Mingyu chooses to just drink instead of interject.

'It's all just so unnecessary,' Minghao continues, unprompted. 'We don't _have_ to be rutting or in heat to reproduce-'

'You're still more fertile during your cycle, though,' Mingyu interjects.

'But you're not infertile outside of your cycle. Reproductively, it's not needed anymore.' Minghao takes a swig of his beer definitely. 'Instead, we all just have to suffer through periodic bouts of _extreme sexual frustration_.'

'You've never been this worked up about the topic before,' Mingyu comments with an amused grin.

'Yeah, well, before, I was actually able to sleep with one of my hot roommates,' Minghao mutters into the mouth of his bottle and Mingyu's eyebrows raise.

'Uh,' he says intelligently. His cheeks suddenly feel quite warm. 

Minghao looks up at him, an almost curated neutral expression on his face. 'You know,' he starts, casual in a way that screams of being deliberate, and Mingyu suddenly needs to take another swig of his beer to wet his suddenly dry throat. 

'Yeah?' he manages when Minghao seems to hesitate.

Minghao shrugs, all careful carelessness. 'Seokmin had a point the other week. About us... being here.'

Mingyu finishes his beer. 'Us being here?'

Minghao heaves a sigh. 'Come on, are you really going to make me say it?'

 _Yes._ 'Yes.'

Minghao runs his tongue over his lips. 'I mean. You're hot. I'm... literally overheating. It wouldn't be any different than either of us sleeping with Seokmin, which we've both done.'

'Are you asking me if I'll sleep with you?' Mingyu needs to clarify. Needs to know he's not imagining things.

'I'm trying to,' Minghao answers bluntly.

'Oh,' Mingyu says faintly.

'Because of the sexual frustration. Of the sympathy ruts,' Minghao adds.

'Yeah,' Mingyu says, 'Of course.'

'Doesn't mean anything,' Minghao says and Mingyu feels himself nodding.

'No different than sleeping with Seokmin,' he says.

'Exactly,' Minghao agrees. 'So... is that a yes?'

'I don't see why not,' Mingyu says, which. Is a lie, but sympathy rut and _Minghao offering to have sex with him_ completely overrides any kind of reasonable thought processes.

Minghao nods. 'Great. So. Um. Now?'

Mingyu chances a glance down at Minghao's crotch. 'Seems like you're ready.'

'Give me a minute and you will be too,' Minghao shoots back.

Mingyu is absolutely certain he's blushing now, and he shrugs. 'You're probably right,' he says, voice slightly strained. 

Minghao flashes him a grin, but neither move for a couple minutes.

'So...' Mingyu ventures, and Minghao heaves a sigh, putting his beer aside and moving over until he's hovering over Mingyu. Mingyu hopes the hitch in his breath isn't audible as Minghao leans in. 

He stops and draws back slightly. 'Sorry, is kissing okay?' he asks.

 _Yes_. 'I kissed Seokmin,' Mingyu says.

'Oh, good,' Minghao says and then he's kissing him.

Mingyu forgets how to breathe briefly, aware only of Minghao's lips on his, the heat of Minghao's palm on his neck, his knee pressing against his thigh. Then the burning in his gut spurs him to respond; his hand lifting to rest on Minghao's waist, and then to pull him closer, to feel his weight resting solidly on his lap.

Minghao shifts until he's fully straddling Mingyu's lap, and Mingyu can barely believe this is actually happening, his hips jerking up relexively, his groan getting lost in the kiss.

'We need...' he gasps, pulling away from Minghao briefly and Minghao nods frantically.

'Stuff, yeah, I have in the room,' Minghao says hurriedly, and the breathlessness of his voice make Mingyu groan again and yank Minghao's hips closer, their lips colliding again.

It takes them a little longer to get to the bedroom than Mingyu would have expected, the lust burning in the pit of his belly a strong motivator but they keep getting distracted by kissing. Mingyu doesn't think he's ever going to be able to stop doing that now that he has. Which could be a major problem, but Mingyu is too distracted to truly consider that at the moment.

Mingyu can't focus entirely on any one thing during, the sweet release of someone else touching him overriding the small desire he has to memorise every single moment of the experience ~~in case it never happens again~~.

It's only afterwards, when Mingyu can think clearly again, that the slightest hints of regret start creeping in. He's left with just impression and sounds and _hot_ , and Minghao lying next to him, chest heaving and skin covered in a thin layer of sweat, much like Mingyu himself.

'That...' Mingyu trails off, not quite sure how to express everything he's feeling.

'Was sorely needed,' Minghao finishes and something in Mingyu sinks slightly with a quiet _oh_.

'Needed,' he repeats, trying not to sound disappointed. 'Yeah.'

Mingyu can still hear his heartbeat in his ears, and he's focussing on that rather than what has to be the inevitable growth of awkwardness between them, so he's caught off guard by the slam of the front door.

Minghao jolts next to him as well, and they exchanged slightly panicked looks at the wail that follows.

Mingyu gets his boxers on first, almost falling over in the hallway as he tugs them up, rounding the corner to see Seokmin sitting in a pile on the floor in front of the door, looking distraught as he looks up at Mingyu.

'Who-' Seokmin starts, and descends into a wordless whine when Minghao appears behind Mingyu. 

Mingyu is suddenly very aware of the state he and Minghao must be in, and resists the urge to check for blooming hickeys.

'Oh my god, you guys actually did it,' Seokmin says, sounding on the verge of a breakdown. 'Fuck, that's hot.'

'Are you okay?' Minghao asks in concern.

'No!' Seokmin wails, 'Jihoonie hyung refused to let me walk anywhere on my own today, and just left now and that was bad enough, this repeat is _kicking my ass_ , and then I walk in here and just-' He makes a grand gesture with his arms. ' _Sex_.'

'You... started it,' Mingyu says lamely.

Seokmin ignores him, looking up at them in despairing exasperation. 'He better fucking be interested,' he says, 'because if I've gone through this for nothing I'm going to cry. Just sit down and fucking cry.'

Mingyu starts at Minghao's hand on his back.

'Do you want us to go get icecream and supper?' Minghao asks sympathetically and Seokmin nods.

'Us?' Mingyu says, glancing at Minghao and Minghao holds his gaze.

'Yeah. Us,' he says and the part of Mingyu that was worried things would become unbelievably awkward between them relaxed a bit.

'So,' Minghao says with an elbow to Mingyu's ribs as they head to the nearest corner shop. 'That was fun.'

Mingyu lets out a laugh. 'Yeah, that it was.'

'There's still at least three or four days left of Seokmin's repeat heat.' Minghao's tone is deceptively neutral.

Mingyu wets his lips. 'There are.'

'The pheromones in the apartment aren't going to go down.'

Mingyu nods, and decides to take a chance. 'So what you're saying is...' he starts, carefully not looking at Minghao, 'We should probably get some condoms while we're at the store.'

Minghao lets out a burst of laughter and Mingyu glances over at him with a grin.

'Yeah,' Minghao says, grin just as wide. 'That's exactly what I'm saying.'

Mingyu slings an arm around Minghao's shoulder. 'Seokmin's going to hate us, icecream or not,' he sighs.

'That is entirely his own fault,' Minghao declares stubbornly, 'I have no sympathy.'

'Do you think he'd actually punch me if I got him a bar of chocolate and told him it was better than sex?'

'I think you should definitely give it a shot,' Minghao says between giggles.

 _They're okay,_ Mingyu thinks, _this is fine._

It's just sex, after all. Nothing but hormone driven sex.

*

It doesn't stop after Seokmin's heat ends.

Mingyu will fall into Minghao's bed and complain about his lectures as usual, only now, after enough complaining, he might get a heavy make out and a hand down his pants. 

It feels like a natural progression, and Mingyu makes no move to go back to how they were before, even when he starts to struggle to sleep alone.

They sleep together far more than either of them ever slept with Seokmin, but the only de-escalation that ever crosses Mingyu's mind is when he just wants to kiss Minghao, not for it to go further. Not that he'd ever complain, but he just kind of wants the opportunity to get lost in kissing Minghao with no expectations or definitive end in sight.

He's touchier. Or Minghao allows him to be touchier, Mingyu hasn't quite figured out which one is the case. Either way, Mingyu finds himself touching Minghao more, wrapping his arms around his waist when asking a question. 

It's comfortable, it's casual, and it's driving Mingyu mad.

[Mingyu] i don't know if i should keep sleeping with minghao  
[Mingyu] but i really don't want to stop  
[Mingyu] but my hearts starting to hurt  
[Mingyu] i want more but if i ask it might ruin our friendship?  
[Mingyu] i think i like him  
[Mingyu] i mean i do like him  
[Mingyu] but we live together and i absolutely cannot make things awkward?  
[Mingyu] help  
[Jungkook] are you seriously whining at me because you like your boyfriend  
[Mingyu] HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND  
[Mingyu] WE'RE NOT DATING THATS THE FUCKING PROBLEM  
[Mingyu] but like its fine right like i can handle this there's nothing wrong with just never telling him ever   
[Mingyu] better than him being weirded out, right  
[Jungkook] are you seriously whining at me because you like your boyfriend  
[Mingyu] LISTEN  
[Mingyu] FUCK YOU

[Mingyu] best friends can sleep together and like hang out all the time and cuddle and stuff and not be dating right  
[Seungkwan] are you being sarcastic  
[Seungkwan] because hansol and i are just friends  
[Mingyu] ????  
[Mingyu] i was talking about me and hao?  
[Mingyu] wait you and hansol are sleeping together?  
[Seungkwan] that's not the point  
[Seungkwan] we're just friends  
[Seungkwan] totally platonic  
[Mingyu] SEE IT IS A THING  
[Mingyu] friends can sleep together off cycle and hang out and it doesn't mean anything  
[Seungkwan] definitely  
[Mingyu] okay but like what if i kind of like him  
[Mingyu] like quite a lot  
[Mingyu] it makes perfect sense to just never say anything right  
[Mingyu] it could make things weird and thats the last thing i want  
[Mingyu] ..... seungkwan?  
[Mingyu] omg fine ignore me

*

'You seem happier,' Seokmin says, sitting on the bench next to Mingyu as they wait for Minghao to meet them.

'What?' Mingyu's brow furrows.

'Since you and Minghao started sleeping together,' Seokmin clarifies, 'You seem... I don't know, more content.'

Mingyu flushes. 'It's just sex,' he mutters.

'Well, yeah, you'd tell me if you two were actually dating, right?' Seokmin says, giving Mingyu a sunshiney grin. Mingyu can't decide if the twinkle in his eyes has any significance.

'That's... not going to happen,' he says, trying not to sound morose. 'It's just... sex.'

'Really?'

'Yes,' Mingyu says forcefully. 'Where is he, anyway?'

'Better be on his way, I have news,' Seokmin says, and Mingyu perks up.

'News?' he asks, 'What news?'

'I'm not telling until he gets here as well,' Seokmin insists, 'And please don't try break me down, I want to tell you guys together.' Seokmin's eyes catch on something and he brightens. 'Oh, there he is!'

Mingyu's head whips around and he sees Minghao, chatting to an omega from one of his classes, another Chinese student.

Mingyu can't help but see how close they're standing, how Sicheng's body is angled towards Minghao's, the smile on Minghao's face.

Sicheng reaches out and brushes a hand against Minghao's arm, and Mingyu feels a faint rumbling in his chest.

He barely registers the cut off giggle next to him, and gets an elbow to his ribs.

'You're growling,' Seokmin whispers in his ear and Mingyu abruptly realises the rumbling is indeed audible. He flushes.

'Shut up, no, I'm not, you don't understand,' he says in a constant stream, 'You're an omega, you don't know my life.'

Seokmin laughs out loud. 'I may be an omega, but I'm not deaf,' he say, grinning. 'Are you sure it's only sex between you and Hao?'

'Yes!' Mingyu exclaims, his cheeks burning. Seokmin's grin doesn't falter. 'Why are you in such a good mood!'

'Why are you so red?' comes a voice behind him and Mingyu jumps, whipping his head around to look up at Minghao, wide-eyed. Seokmin claps.

'Jihoonie hyung asked me out!' he bursts out and Mingyu breaks eye contact with Minghao to turn and gape at Seokmin.

'Wait, really?' he asks, dumbfounded.

Seokmin nods. 'He said he didn't want to make a move during my heat because it seemed cheap.'

'Your heat was two months ago,' Minghao says, and Mingyu hates that he can _hear_ the smile in his voice.

'He's also really shy,' Seokmin says, 'But either way! I have a date tonight.'

'That's awesome!' Mingyu exclaims. 'All that stalking paid off!'

'I did not _stalk_ him,' Seokmin insists in the tone of voice of someone who has had to say this multiple times before.

'Yeah, that would imply Jihoon not knowing he was there,' Minghao says, his voice teasing. 

'Be nice,' Seokmin whines and Mingyu habitually exchanges a conspiritorial glance with Minghao.

'Now,' Minghao begins silkily, 'when are we ever not nice?'

*

A month later finds Mingyu lying face first on the couch because his room smelled just a bit too much like Minghao, and he'd only woken up early and left and Mingyu hates that he _missed_ him already. Missed a gravelly good morning and bleary eyed blinking and really, really hated waking up alone in bed.

He doesn't know when he got to this point; and he can't help but think that maybe he shot himself in the foot when he decided to sleep with Minghao in the first place. 

'Hey.'

He grunts at Seokmin's greeting.

'Are you okay?' Seokmin asks cautiously.

'Yeah,' Mingyu replies listlessly.

'Now, I don't want to call you a liar, but... you don't _seem_ fine,' Seokmin says, appearing in Mingyu's line of vision as he sits down on the floor in front of him.

'I'm fine,' Mingyu says, and sounds throoughly unconvincing even to his own ears. 

Seokmin gives him a look. 

Mingyu sighs and turns his face back into the couch cushions. 'I like Minghao.' His voice is muffled.

'Huh?'

Mingyu lifts his head. 'I like Minghao,' he says clearly and Seokmin's eyes widen slightly.

'Oh.'

Mingyu snorts. 'Yeah, weren't expecting that, were you.'

'Wasn't expecting you to _admit_ it, sure,' Seokmin says easily and Mingyu looks at him, aghast.

'You knew?' he whispers, horrified.

'We've known each other most of our lives, Gyu,' Seokmin says sympathetically, 'I would hope I could tell when you like someone. Also Seungkwan told me.'

'That little shit,' Mingyu grumbles, 'I knew I shouldn't have told him.'

'He was trying to convince Soonyoung and I that he and Hansol are totally different to you and Minghao,' Seokmin sighs, and Mingyu snorts again.

'Yeah, him and Hansol actually mutually like each other,' he says resentfully, 'They just need to get their heads out their asses and realise that.'

Seokmin has a pained expression on his face when Mingyu looks up.

'You can't tell him,' Mingyu says, 'Minghao, I mean. You can't tell him I like him. It'll ruin everything.'

'Why?' Seokmin asks.

'Because he's my best friend and it's just sex to him.'

'What if it isn't?'

'But what if it _is_?' Mingyu insists. 'I can't take that risk. He's my best friend, and we're roommates, and if I tell him I caught feelings it'll just make things awkward and horrible and ruin _everything_.'

'But...' Seokmin trails off, looking distressed.

'I know you don't like keeping secrets, but I... please, don't tell him. Promise me.'

Seokmin closes his eyes briefly, brow furrowed, before opening them again. 'I promise,' he manages. 'Please think about telling him?'

'I have thought about it, believe me,' Mingyu says miserably, 'Thinking about what if he does like me back hurts too much when I know he doesn't.'

'What's your plan, then? To just... what, sleep with him indefinitely?' Seokmin sounds distraught.

'Until he finds some pretty omega to date or something, yeah, probably.' Mingyu sighs. 'I try not to think about it.'

Seokmin is silent for a few moments, and his voice is sharp when he speaks again. 'Please don't tell me you think he doesn't like you because he's an _alpha_.'

'I don't think he likes me because he's Minghao and has treated me no different since we started sleeping together than before,' Mingyu says, 'And I know Minghao doesn't think like that, I know he doesn't care about someone's subgender, but that's probably what's going to happen, isn't it? He's going to find some cute omega he wants to protect and mate and have a family with them and I'll probably cry over it and then move on. Or not, and be a miserable fuck for the rest of my life, but that's whatever.' 

'Mingyu...'

Mingyu turns his head away from Seokmin. 'I don't really wanna talk about it anymore, Seokmin, it just depresses me.'

'You can talk to me.'

'I know,' Mingyu assures him, 'But another time, maybe. I'm too bleak right now.'

'You can talk to Minghao as well.'

'That's not going to happen.'

*

Minghao's lips are hot on his neck, and his rut is making him hyper-sensitive to every slight puff of breath and brush of fingers, and Mingyu's blood is boiling in his veins. 

He's so hard it hurts, and Minghao's still fully clothed on top of him, his own shirt practically torn off of him a minute or so prior. Mingyu shoves his hands up the bac of Minghao's shirt, gripping his waist, needing more, needing skin on skin and to _feel_ Minghao.

Minghao grinds down and a gasp is wrenched from Mingyu's throat, his head hitting the back of the couch with force. He's not thinking when he grips Minghao's waist with a force that will likely leave bruises and flips him onto his back, Mingyu on top of him. He's not thinking when he noses at Minghao's neck, scraping his teeth lightly over his scent gland, the heavy scent of lust and arousal sending his head spinning. 

He's not thinking as he whisper hotly against Minghao's neck, his hands holding Minghao's wrists down.

'Fuck, I want to bite you,' he whispers, and a slight sound of agreement rises from Minghao. 'I want to _bind_ you, mate you. I want to bite you so you can never leave me, so you can feel how I feel, so no one else will ever touch you again. I want to make you _mine_.' He scrapes his teeth over Minghao's scent gland again and bites at his shoulder. ' _Mine_ ,' he growls.

The strangled squeak that Minghao lets out clears Mingyu's head long enough for him to realise what he's just said, and he feels like he's just been doused with ice water. He jerks away from Minghao to see him staring at him with wide eyes, and he lets go of his wrists as if he'd been burned.

'Mingyu-'

'I- I'm sorry- I just-' Mingyu stammers, scrambling away from Minghao.

'Oh, no, you don't- Kim Mingyu!' Minghao yells as Mingyu bolts to their room, his heart hammering against his chest in panic.

' _Mingyu!_ ' 

Minghao follows him, but Mingyu slams and locks the door just in time to hear Minghao collide with the wood.

So now Minghao's banging on their bedroom door, demanding Mingyu to open up, while Mingyu stands there with a head filled with panic and a rapidly wilting hard on.

'Mingyu, open the door,' comes Minghao's voice, and Mingyu shakes his head even though Minghao can't see him, his hands covering his mouth in shock.

His arousal is still burning under his skin, but his panic is quickly drowning it out, and _fuck_ , his phone is still in the lounge, he can't even call for help.

Minghao quietens down after what feels like an eternity (but was probably only an hour). Mingyu thinks he leaves, but can't bring himself to check.

'Mingyu?' comes a tentative call. It's Seokmin.

Mingyu's too busy taking deep breaths to get rid of the buzzing in his ears to respond.

'Mingyu?' Seokmin says again. There's a few moments of silence, and then: 'Jihoon gave me a mating bite today.'

Mingyu's heart stutters in his overheightened state and he strides towards the door, talking before he even opens it.

'You guys have only been dating for a couple months, you're still in university, how wise is that, Seokmin, so soon? Did you talk about it be-' Mingyu stops, faced with Minghao glowering at him with folded arms and Seokmin giving him a sheepish smile, neck clear of any bites.

'Lock me out again,' Minghao says, voice deadly serious, 'I will break down that door and make you pay for it.'

Mingyu's breath catches in his throat and he turns to Seokmin. 'Why?' he says, 'Why would you do this to me?'

Minghao snorts and mutters something under his breath in Chinese.

'Because you guys need to _talk_ ,' Seokmin says, sounding exasperated. 

'Or we can just pretend nothing happened,' Mingyu tries weakly.

'I can't believe people think I'm the dumb one in this family,' Seokmin says.

'You did confuse piranha's with-' Minghao starts.

'At least I told the guys I liked that I like him,' Seokmin shoots back and Mingyu glances between Seokmin and Minghao hesitantly, feeling a little lost. 

Minghao tears his glower away from Seokmin and faces Mingyu again. 'We need to talk,' he says.

'Can't we just-'

'No.'

Mingyu stares and drops his arm from the doorframe in defeat, nodding.

'Thanks,' Minghao mutters to Seokmin before pusing his way into the room.

Seokmin gives Mingyu and encouraging nod before Mingyu gather the courage to turn around, closing the door behind him.

'Look, I'm sorry,' he says, 'I know what I said was _so_ inappropriate-'

'I just need to know if you meant it or if it was just the rut talking,' Minghao interrupts.

Mingyu blinks. 'Um. I mean, I probably wouldn't have said it without being on rut-'

'Mingyu, do you like me,' Minghao says, 'Not platonically. I need to hear you say it.'

Mingyu's caught, but there's no way he can lie to a direct question.

'I'm sorry,' he says quietly, looking at the floor, 'I know it makes-' 

He's cut off by a pillow to the face. He catches it as it falls out of reflex, looking up at Minghao, sputtering. 

'What the fuck was that for?' he cries.

'I have had a thing for you since like the second month I lived here!' Minghao shouts, looking furious and Mingyu gapes. 'And you don't get to say you want to _claim_ me and then run away! You don't get to _apologise_ for liking me!'

'Why are you _angry_ at me!' Mingyu yelps, pressing his hand to his chest to try calm down his heart.

'I'm not!' Minghao yells, and Mingyu gapes in disbelief as Minghao takes a deep breath, chest heaving. 'I'm not,' he repeats, in a quieter tone of voice. 'I'm just... how long?'

'What?' Mingyu can't handle this.

'How long have you liked me?' Minghao clarifies.

'I don't know,' Mingyu says honestly, 'A while. The first time I saw you shirtless, latest.'

'... that was like my second night here.'

'Yeah.'

Minghao stares at Mingyu and then laughs, crouching down into a squat.

'And now you're laughing,' Mingyu says after a few moments.

'When did you tell Seokmin?' Minghao asks, voice full of mirth.

'What makes you think I told him?'

'He told me just now.'

Mingyu shrugs. 'Couple months ago?'

Minghao laughs harder. 'I told him last year, made him promise not to say anything.'

Mingyu lets out a strangled laugh and head to the door, opening out and peering out. 

'Sorry!' he calls when he sees Seokmin on the couch, and gets a middle finger in response.

'Bitching at me for talking about Jihoon,' he hears Seokmin mutter before he closes the door again. 

'I feel kinda bad,' Mingyu admits, unable to keep the grin from his face as he looks at Minghao. It all feels slightly surreal still.

'Mmm, wanna feel even worse?' Minghao shoots Mingyu a grin.

Mingyu tilts his head.

'I can smell your rut still,' Minghao elaborates, straightening up. 'And I _really_ want to finish what we started.'

Mingyu's breath catches again as Minghao approaches him. 

'Maybe let's put the mating bites on hold for now, though, yeah?' Minghao breathes, lips millimetres away from Mingyu's.

Mingyu lets out choked laugh and nods before surging forward and kissing Minghao deeply, arms wrapped tightly around his waist.

They'll have to buy Seokmin a giant box of chocolates, he decides.

Maybe when his rut's over.


End file.
